Apparatus for generating gaseous fuel.



H. G. WADE.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GASEOUS FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.25A1913. l mihfigfis Patented De0.22,191

.2 SHEETS-"SHEET 1.

"gm A gwwfl H. O. WADE.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GASEOUS FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED YEB.25,1913.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 33

qwibmeooeo:

E ENBY CLAY ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WADE, or NEW roan, N. Y2, ASSIGNOB 'ro AQUA cAs COMPANY, or NE YORK, N. Y., A, conPoaA'rroN or DELAWARE.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GASEOUS FUEL.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

TocZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CLAY W DE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New Yerk, 'l 1ave invented certain new and useful lniproyements in Apparatus for Generating ,Gaseous Fuel, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to an apparatus for enerat-ing gaseous fuel, which fuel may be Erurned as made, or stored in a tank for subsequent us and will be understood by reference to the. accompanyingdrawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a'view inelevation, partly in ,section, of a structure embodying one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is. a central vertical section of acombined generator and burner,

top plan .view'of'Fig. 2, partly in section;

Fig. 4, a section on the plane of the line 44' of Fig.- 2; and Fi 5, a section on the plane of the line 5'5 0 Fig. '3.

Similar reference numerals indicate similar parts in the several views. Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a tank divided by partitions 2 and 3 into compartments 4, 5 and 6. The compartment 4 serves as a receptacle for a gaseous or liquid fuel containing carbon to be utilized or vaporized; compartment 5 as a receptacle for water; and compartment 6 as a storage tank for the generated gas, should it be desired. Inthe partition 2 is an opening 7 establishing communication .between the compartments 4 and 5. The

tank may be provided with an oil gage for compartment 4, and a pressure gage for compartments 4 and 5, as indicated in Fig. 1. Z The gas generator comprises soup-shaped base 8 provided on. its inner face with an annular seat 9 to receive an annular burner 10. The generator proper is in the enlarged 7 upper section 11 integral with the base, or

separate therefrom and secured thereto by any suitable means. The generator section substantially cylindrical with its inner wall flaring outward and upward from the 7seat-9,-'and completely surrounds the burner 10. --Within the section 11 are formed two \chambersf12 and 13, separated by avweb 14, said chambers extending as far as may be desired through and around the body ofsec- .tion'11.,-A.s shown, the chambers 12 and 13 der 19 forming part of, and

, into the space 30,

are substantially annular, the ends being separated by short webs.

. Leadingfrom water compartment 5 of tank l i-S apipe 15, which pipe, by a suit-' able connectlon, discharges into the chamtank 1 is a pipe 17 which pipe is fitted to the connection between pipe 16 and chamber 13, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.. Leading from the other end of chamber 13 is a pipe 18 connecting said chamber with an expansion chamber the latter preferably in the form of a vertically disposed hollow cylin depending of. Leading from the compartment 4 of from, the base 8. The lower end of the ex I .pansion chamber is closed by a plug 20 .threaded into the shell thereof, the plug car- .rying'fa [stem 21 which extends longitudis pally ofithe shell and terminates immedi-.

ately beloyman opening 22in the base 8.

Threaded into the opening 22 is a nozzle 23 having {a longitudinal channel 24. The lowerendfof the nozzle is flared outwardly to provide a chamber 25, and said lower end 'is closely approached by the upper end of stem 21. Communication is established between the interior of the expansion chamher and the bore of the nozzle by means of grooves 26 insaid stem, the upper ends of. .the grooves opening into chamber 25.

Coiled about the stem 21, and substan- I .tially 'filling'the chamber 19, is a sheet of wire gauze 27, preferably, although not nec essarily, of brass, extending from end to end of said chamberand abutting the upper wall of said chamber and the plug 10. The

wire gauze being highly heated by conduction,-serves ,to further expand the gas andto strain; out any mechanical impurities which may be carried over.

Surrounding the'baseof chamber 19 receptacle 28 to receive liquid fuel, such as alcohol, which may be burned to heat the generator when started. i

The annular burner 10 has a central .pas-- sage or opening 29 vertically in line with and above the outlet end'of nozzle 23, so that the gas emitted from the nozzle passes upwardthrough said passage or opening formed by the wall 31 an 25 passing upward and envelopin the cap or flame-plate 32. The latter has a plurality of flame jet nozzles or openings 33 in the crown thereof, and similar nozzles or openings 3 1 in the side wall to direct the 5 flame against the inner wall of the generator, so that the chambers 12 and 13 may be heated to a relatively high temperature- The operation of the above-described apparatus is as follows, assuming that a hydrocarbon liquid is to be used; Any suit:

able means may be employed to feed the -water and hydrocarbon liquid to the chambers 12 and 13, respectively. In .Fig. 1 is shown an air force-pump 35 connected to 1 the oil compartment 4 of tank 1, the opening 7 in partition 2 admitting the air under pressure into the water compartment 5.

Sufficient ressure is-maintained upon the surfaces 0 the water and oil to feed them. to the generator chambers throughthe pipes vaporize the liquid hydrocarbon which may be in chamber 13. The vaporized oil is conducted through pipe 18 to expansion chamber 19, and thence, through nozzle 23, to

burner 10, where it is ignited. When the generator is sufiiciently heated, the water in chamber 12 will be converted into steam, and, as the temperature of the walls, of the generator, and 'of'c'hambers 1-2 and 13, is in- "creased th vaporization of the oil and "generatior'ii'ot gas, becomes more active. and

vapors evolved 3 from the oil and flow through pipe 18 to chamber 19 where the I f "nozzle directs it through the central pas ,sage 29 to the space 30 of the burner, from which it escapes and is ignited through the I openings 33 and The flame issuing from the openings 34 is directed against the inner wall of the generator for the purpose of converting the water into steam, for heating the platinum "gauze, and for vaporizin the hydrocarbon liquid in chamber 13 an for decomposing the steam therein.

By placingthe burner Within the generator, as shown, the heat necessary to effect steam, and the vaporization of the oil, may be readily attained, more particularly from the heat; of the flame issuing from the lower set of openings 34. The air necessary for complete combustion is admitted through openings 38 in base 8. If desired, a portion 0 the generation: and decomposition of the the gas generated may be conducted by pipe 39 to compartment 6 of tank 1, or to any other suitable storage'tank, from which it may be drawn.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an apparatus of the character described, a generator comprising a base, an upper section within which two annular chambersare 'forined, means for delivering water to one ofsaid chambers wherein it-is converted into steam, means for-delivering ;thef 'heat more intense, the steam generated the steam "to the second ofsaidohambers,

'inihar'nber 12-passes therefrom intooutlet 40 pipe "16, and, in so doing, is brought into contact with'any' suitable material capable, underthehigh heat generated therein, of 1 increasing the temperature of the steam to thereby facilitate its decomposition-in the 4 presence of the hydrocarbon.

The material used,"and that preferredby me, i's platinnm gauze, which may-be con- "veniently p1 aced,=as at 37 ,inthe opening of the section 11"of"the' generator adapted to li 'receive theend of pipe-1 6; That is, the

*platinum; gauze is p'r:actically-- located in chamber 12',the means shownbeing'a feasi- "bl'e way of supporting and confining it so "'t-hatit may beubadily inserted in 'place, and

55 renewed if necessary..' The highly. heated steam Hows through {pipe- 16=t0 the upper 1 -'--cha'ihber 13'metingtas it enters said chamber, the-oil delivered through'pipe 17; The hydrocarbons passinginto the heated chambe'r 13 are hrolten up and would ordinarily 'depositja part df'their carbon, but this heat- "ed 'c'arlio'nih Contact w-iththe highly heated steam decomposes the latter, forming oarbon-jm'onoXida-nd setting free the hydrogen.

-These gasesming1e' -'with the" hydrocarbon upper section within which two'cl iamhersare formed, means fondelivering water to oneofsai'd chambers-wherein it is converted "into steam, means fordeliveringthe steam to the second of said chambers, means for delivering alh dro'car-bon to said second '=chamber -where1n' it is vaporized and the J steam decomposed, a burner, means for-ne- -"-'liv'eri n g 'thefgas to the burner, -'and a body having highheat absorbing capacity intercepting the flow ofste'atii 'and lo'catedfb tween saidchambers.

i-3. 1m an apparatus bf thecharacter described, tibumerp enerator surroundin said bumer'ia nd adapted't'o beheat'ed thereby, said 'gene'rat'or havingtwo chambers means for centeringwate'r to" one of sai chambers whereinit is' c'on'veited into steam, 'a pipe for delivering the steam to the second "of said chambers, r'neal'is "for delivering a hydrocarbon to said second chamber wherein it is vaporized and the steam decomposed, an expansion chamber connected to said second generator chamber, and means for delivering the mixture from the expansion chamber to the burner.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, an annular burner, an annular generator surrounding said burner, the latter having flame nozzles or openings to direct the flame against the inner wall of the generator, said generator having two chambers, means for delivering water to one of said chambers wherein it is converted into steam, a pipe for delivering the steam to the second of said chambers, means for delivering a hydrocarbon liquid to said second chamber wherein it is vaporized and the steam is decomposed, and means for delivering the gases and vapor to the burner.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a burner, a generator surrounding said burner and adapted to be heated thereby, said generator having two chambers, means for delivering water to one of said chambers wherein it 15 converted into steam, a conduit for delivering the steam to the second of said chambers, means for deliverto the burner, and means to aid in raising the temperature of the steam, said means-- intercepting the flow of steam and absorbing heat from the burner.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a burner, two chambers subjected to heat fromthe burner, means for delivering water to one of said chambers wherein it is converted intosteam, a conduit for delivering the steam to the second of said chambers, means for delivering v ahydro carbon to said second chamber wherein it is vaporized and the steam decomposed, to aid in raising the temperature of the steam consisting of a body having high heat absorbing capacity interceptin the flow of steam 3,0 composed, means for delivering the mixture; 

